Boosting user choice for browsers

The European Commission today announced an important decision designed to inject more competition into the crucial market for Internet browsers. Under the Commission decision, more than 100 million Europeans will soon receive an opportunity to download a new browser. On both new and old computers that run Internet Explorer, a ballot screen will pop up on their computers displaying icons of the major browser makers and allowing them to choose among them with a simple click.

Browsers are critical to the Internet; they enable us to surf the web, search, chat, email, watch videos, or connect to our social networks. The game changing apps of the past few years -- Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and others -- have all been built online. Most of the modern computing experience already happens inside the browser and many of the remaining computing tasks inside the PC soon could be done more efficiently and elegantly online in the "cloud."

Most people already spend more time using their browsers than they do in their cars. If unleashed, we believe PC browsers could allow an exponential impact on Internet innovation. That's why we launched our own browser Chrome and why we are soon launching a full-fledged browser operating system called Chrome OS, which will further increase the speed, simplicity and security of online computing.

In coming months, millions of Europeans will have an opportunity to learn more about the importance of browsers. We plan to continue educating consumers by participating in initiatives such as the site www.whatbrowser.org and opening our own dialogue with users, confident that more competition in the browser space will mean a better user experience for people everywhere.

Posted By Sundar Pichai, Vice President Product Management